Misc Marg

on her secret ambition: I’ve often wondered what it must be like to be a war correspondent. Talk about being in the moment.

introduction to the 2007 SAG Awards: Some of my most cherished moments in this business have been conversations that I’ve had with my fellow actors on the set between takes. These conversations can happen anywhere, sometimes, sitting on a bed, in a skanky fictitious motel room. In fact, that’s how I met my husband, president of the Screen Actors Guild. I’m Marg Helgenberger and I’m an actor.

on her hair at the 2001 TV Guide Awards: I had pink hair! I don’t know. You know what? That shade was known as ‘PMS Pink.’ I was totally PMS-ing that day – I was crazy! What did I think, I was gonna get away with pink hair on CSI?

on having a street named after her in her home town of North Bend: They wanted to honor me by naming a street after me, Helgenberger Avenue. It was on the corner that I grew up. I was able to tour the home in which I grew up. It was right across the street from the public swimming pool where I was a lifeguard swim instructor.

on costar Billy Petersen: Billy is very enigmatic. One day you think you know him, then the next day you realize you don’t.

on the ‘business’: I’m more willing to sit back and let things come to me, but this business is too competitive, and one has got to be more aggressive and go for things. Those are the ones that succeed.

on what to do during summer: By the time May rolls around, I’m probably going to want to spend a month on an island. But if Steven Spielberg or Steven Soderbergh or any number of directors were to say “Hey, there’s this role, are you interested?” I’d be there in a flash.

on Madonna: Life will always be good as long as Madonna is around. I don’t think of her as a guilty pleasure anymore—she’s an outright pleasure.

on being more famous than Van Gogh: We were in Paris this last summer and we were at the Musée d’Orsay, and it just always freaks me out when people stop you and wanna take your picture as opposed to looking at a Van Gogh, or something.

when she received her Emmy in 1990: First of all, my name’s not Marge. It’s Marg.

on her career: My career is always just been putting one foot in front of the other.

on dark moments: I have plenty of dark moments, and I have to watch out for them. My tendency isn’t to think of things I’ve accomplished. Especially as I get older, I’m more inclined to dwell on everything I haven’t done.

on when she was young: As a girl, I played by the rules and behaved myself. I didn’t rock the boat.

on university life at Northwestern: All of a sudden, I didn’t have to go to church every Sunday. I went to clubs and heard live music and had a good time. I wasn’t a particularly good student. I was focusing on doing plays and musicals.

on overcompensating: Once I come home, I need to compensate, or overcompensate, for the time I’ve spent away. But then again, I’m Catholic. I draw guilt out of the air.

on life now: I’m enjoying the attention and the power. It can do a lot for your ego. And I feel sexier now than I did when I was 28. I’m more competent, more relaxed, and less frazzled.

on her toering (circa the ER years): I was playing George Clooney’s love interest—I mean, come on! I had the ring made because I knew we were going to have love scenes.

on a favorite meal: Cheeseburger, pickles and ketchup. On a toasted sesame seed bun. I’m as basic as they come.

on playing bad girls: I think bad girls are always more fun to play than good girls. I think complicated people are more fun to play than someone who falls into this stereotype of the good wife or supportive girlfriend. Everybody has multiple sides to them, including a dark side. I feel an affinity for people who have been through hardships but are able to keep going. My mom has always looked on the bright side of life and I respect that type of person.

on being open-minded: I think remaining open minded is very important for keeping a youthfulness about you. Retaining the ability to listen and not ducking out on belief. I continue to work on just reserving judgement about anything and anyone. I think it’s happier not only for you, but for the world, instead of attaching a judgement to everything.

on beauty: I certainly want to look the best I possibly can. I’ve always been a disciplined and motivated person; that’s part of my Midwestern values. But you have to work with what you’ve got and grow older gracefully.

on staying motivated: I think just being in this business and being in the public eye is enough to keep you motivated and energized because you can’t let the ball drop for very long or relax, otherwise it all passes you by.

on taking risks: I think when you get into this business, you’re taking a risk, knowing that a job can be over at any time. CSI is one of the few that’s had an incredibly long life. I never forget how fortunate I am. Maybe I have my own guardian angel. I’d like to think it’s my dad or my grandmother, his mother. It’s nice to know they’re watching out for me.

on working in the meat plant: One of the jobs I had was cutting out the blood clots on a side of beef. You’d stick your knife in sometimes and pop a spot—and it would bleed in your face.

on her gadget: My favorite gadget is my plasma TV, because football games are even more fun to watch in high-definition. — Parade, November 23, 2003

on comedy: I’d love an opportunity to do comedy. I’m a little wary, because you can really fall on your face. You’ve got to trust the material and the director. I’d go into it with a little trepidation, because I certainly don’t think I have the comic skill that just comes naturally to some people. But, oh yeah, that would be fun. A real challenge. — Ladies Home Journal, February 2001

on money: I have a thing about spending money. It seems like the more things you get, the more unhappy you are. That’s how it is with me. You get all these diversions and it does no good. I’m most content with the least amount of things. People think money will make them happy and create some kind of solace in their lives, but it doesn’t; it creates more problems. — Daytimers, March 1983

on touching people through her acting: I’d like them to see some message in what I was doing. I think you can communicate very strongly through acting. I don’t want to be just another actress doing her craft. I want to touch people. — Daytimers, March 1983

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